List of New Zealand flags

This is a list of flags of New Zealand. It includes flags that either have been in use or are currently used by institutions, local authorities, or the government of New Zealand. Some flags have historical or cultural (e.g. Māori culture) significance.

The national flag of New Zealand and Tino Rangatiratanga flag flying on Auckland Harbour Bridge, on Waitangi Day, 2012

National flags
Flag Date Use Description
1834–1840[nb 1] Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand Based on the White Ensign. Two crosses of St George and four eight-point stars in the canton on a blue background.[2] (See also variant design under "Māori flags" below)
1840–1867[nb 2] British Union Flag Adopted following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
1867–1869 The first flag of New Zealand based on the Blue Ensign Blue Ensign with the red letters "NZ" outlined in white
1902[nb 3]–present Flag of New Zealand A defaced Blue Ensign with four red stars with white borders to the right, representing the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross.

Royal and viceregal
Flag Date Use Description
1962–2022[6] Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II in New Zealand A banner of the coat of arms of New Zealand, defaced with a blue disc bearing the crowned letter 'E' in gold
1869–1874 Flag of the governor of New Zealand A Union Flag defaced with four five-pointed stars. This design was due to a misinterpretation of design instructions.
1874–1908 Flag of the governor of New Zealand A Union Flag defaced with a white circle, with four red stars and the initial 'NZ' at the centre, surrounded by a green wreath.
1908–1936 Flag of the governor of New Zealand A Union Flag defaced with a white circle, with four red stars and the initial 'NZ' at the centre, surrounded by a wreath of ferns.
1936–1953 Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand A lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "Dominion of New Zealand"
1953–2008 Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand A lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "New Zealand"
2008–present Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand The shield of the New Zealand Coat of Arms surmounted by the Royal Crown.
1979–present Flag of the King's Representative in the Cook Islands Flag of the Cook Islands with a crown in the centre of the ring of stars

Ensigns
Flag Date Use Description
1901–present New Zealand Red Ensign A red ensign with four white stars representing the Southern Cross
1941–1968 Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign British White Ensign, previously used by the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy (1921–1941)

It was replaced by the New Zealand White Ensign.

1968–present Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign A white ensign with four red stars representing the Southern Cross
1939–present Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Air Force A light blue field with the roundel of the Royal Air Force defaced with the letters, "NZ".
16 November 1938 – present New Zealand Civil Air Ensign A blue cross with a wide border on a light blue field. The Union Flag is in the canton, with the Southern Cross in the fly.
New Zealand Police Ensign A blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the NZP emblem in the fly.
New Zealand Fire Service Ensign A blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the Fire Service emblem in the fly.
1966–present New Zealand Customs Service Flag A New Zealand Blue Ensign, with the letters "HMC" (for "Her Majesty's Customs" in the lower hoist was in use from 1966 to 1996. From 1996 the flag have the inspection "NZ CUSTOMS SERVICE" in the lower hoist.
1968–1998 New Zealand Ministry of Transport Ensign A sky blue flag with the New Zealand Ensign in the canton, with the NZMOT coat of arms within a blue disc in the fly.
Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron A white cross on a blue field, with the New Zealand Flag in the canton.

Associated states and territories
Flag Date Use Description
1979–present Flag of the Cook Islands A Blue Ensign defaced with 15 stars in a ring
1975–present Flag of Niue A yellow ensign, the Union Flag has a blue disc with a yellow star in the middle and four yellow stars forming a diamond around it
2008–present Flag of Tokelau A blue flag with a stylized Polynesian canoe (vaka) in gold and a representation of the Southern Cross in the fly
1993–present Unofficial flag of the Chatham Islands A blue flag with a depiction of the island superimposed on a rising sun.
1995–present Proposed flag of the Ross Dependency Flag of New Zealand with an azure blue, white outline of stars, and white stripe at bottom.

Regions and cities
Flag Date Use Description
1980–2010 Flag of the City of Auckland[7] A banner of arms of Auckland City's coat of arms.

Blue canton with cornucopia in top-hoist. Red canton with pick and shovel in top-fly. White lower half with ship and blue horizontal.

1976–present Flag of the City of Christchurch[8] A banner of arms of Christchurch's coat of arms.

Chevron Gules a Mitre between a Fleece and a Garbe of the first in base two Bars wavy Azure on a Chief of the last four Lymphads sails furled, also of the first And for the Crest on a Wreath Or and Azure a Kiwi proper

1979–present Flag of the City of Dunedin[9] A banner of arms of Dunedin's coat of arms.

Argent a fess dancetty vert on which a sheep's head caboshed between two wheat sheafs all proper. In chief a three-towered castle sable, mortared of the first and flagged gules on a rock proper. In base a lymphad sable sailed and flagged azure.

2012–present Flag of the Town of Mārahau[10] Blue background with a green triangle and a yellow crescent moon and two yellow stars.
2020–present Flag of the City of Napier[11] A banner of arms of Napier's coat of arms.

Three red roses from the coat of arms of Lord Napier and Ettrick (a direct descendant of Sir Charles Napier after whom Napier was named). Blue wave bands symbolise status as a coastal city and the Golden Fleece is the heraldic symbol of the wool industry, which Napier was one of the largest wool centres in New Zealand.

1987–present Flag of the City of Nelson[12][13] A banner of arms of Nelson's coat of arms.

Blue top third with bishop's mitre. Blue and white waves beneath with black cross flory.

2004–present Flag of Otago[14][15] Blue and gold, horizontally divided by a zigzag line ("dancetty", in vexillological terms), with counterchanged eight-pointed stars. Used by the Otago Regional Council, and widely by the general public in the Otago region.
c. 1990–present Flag of the City of Palmerston North[16] Plain white background with central coat of arms. 'City of Palmerston North, New Zealand' in black text above and below the coat of arms.
1998–present Flag of the City of Porirua[17][18][19] The flag uses green, blue, and white elements to symbolise Whitireia and the harbour. It also incorporates Porirua's coat of arms, though there is also a version without the coat of arms for less formal occasions.
1962–present Flag of the City of Wellington[20][21][22] Black symmetric cross on a yellow background with a central circular design of a ship with a dolphin on its sail.

Māori flags
Flag Date Use Description
1834–present Original design of the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, widely used by Māori groups Similar to the amended design used as the de facto national flag 1835–1840, but with eight-pointed stars and black fimbriation in the canton
1990–present Flag of Tino rangatiratanga – Official National Māori Flag, approved by the NZ Cabinet in 2010[23] A white curling stripe on a red and black field
Standard of Dame Te Atairangikaahu, modern Kīngitanga flag Adopted during the reign of Dame Te Atairangikaahu (reign from 1966 to 2006). It is still popularly used today.
Kotahitanga flag – unofficial Māori flag, widely used by Māori groups Three horizontal stripes of red, white and black, defaced with a circular emblem featuring a mere crossed with a scroll representing the Treaty of Waitangi within a border of koru containing the word "Kotahitanga" (unity)
Example of a Māori Flag Some Māori tribes use the Red Ensign defaced with their tribal name
1864 Hung as part of the memorial in the Auckland War Memorial Museum for those who died, both European and Māori, in the New Zealand Wars. A white Greek cross on its left upper canton, a four pointed white star (ascending Star of Bethlehem) on its right lower canton, and downward white crescent (new moon) in the centre on a field of red.
1977 Flag used at the Bastion Point demonstration against the New Zealand Crown's occupation of the land Two horizontal stripes of red and black defaced with a mangopare (hammerhead shark) design, representing tenacity.

Sporting flags
Flag Date Use Description
1908–1912 Flag of the Australasian team at the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games A Blue Ensign defaced by a white circle containing the British Crown plus a shield containing the Southern Cross
1994–present Flag of the New Zealand Olympic Committee A white flag with a depiction of the silver fern superimposed on the five ringed emblem of the International Olympic Committee
1979–1994 Flag of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association A black flag with a depiction (in white) of a silver fern on the Olympic rings.
1987 Flag of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. A black flag with a white silver fern.
Burgee of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron A blue triangular flag with a white cross, with the Southern Cross in the canton and a crown in the centre.

Other New Zealand flags
Flag Date Use Description
Flag of the New Zealand Navy Board[24] A fouled anchor with a red-blue background
1970–2022 Queen's Colour of the Royal New Zealand Navy
1900–1987[25] New Zealand Post flag Blue field with the New Zealand Post Office emblem.
Flag of the Grand Orange Lodge of New Zealand An orange ensign with the Saint George's Cross in the canton, and in the fly an open book surmounted by a Saint Edward's Crown and surrounded by the four stars of the New Zealand Southern Cross.
Flag of the Taranaki Rifle Volunteers

Proposed alternative flags
See also: New Zealand flag debate and 2015–2016 New Zealand flag referendums
Further information: Flag concepts for the South Island

Notes
  1. In use sporadically as a national flag until the adoption of the current flag in 1902.[1]
  2. The Union Jack was described as the "superior flag", to be flown above the New Zealand flag prior to 1965.[3]
  3. Officially adopted the national flag,[4] in use from 1869 on colonial gunboats.[5]

References
  1. Mulholland 2016, p. 128.
  2. The drawing of the United Tribes Ensign sent by Governor Bourke to King William IV, retrieved 2009-07-15. This design was amended when the flag was officially gazetted, with the eight-pointed stars replaced with five-pointed stars, and the black fimbriation replaced with white.
  3. Mulholland 2016, p. 48.
  4. Mulholland 2016, p. 66.
  5. Mulholland 2016, p. 55.
  6. "Death of The Queen: Information" (PDF). www.dpmc.govt.nz. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  7. "Auckland region (New Zealand)". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  8. "Council flag poles". ccc.govt.nz. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  9. "Dunedin City Council history". www.dunedin.govt.nz. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  10. Gooch, Carly. "Marahau's flag flies proudly over 'independent' community". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  11. Voorend, Blair (31 January 2020). "New Napier flag to go ahead but potential for further discussions". Hawkes Bay Today. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  12. "Purchase a Nelson City Flag - Nelson City Council".
  13. "Nelson province (New Zealand)".
  14. "Otago region (New Zealand)". www.crwflags.com. Flags of the World. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  15. Green, Carla. "Picks 'underwhelming', Otago flag designer says". www.odt.co.nz. Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  16. "Palmerston North could adopt green and white theme for a flag". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  17. "Porirua City Flags". www.pcc.govt.nz. Porirua City Council. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  18. "Porirua (Wellington, New Zealand)". www.fotw.info. Flags of the World. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  19. Pollock, Kerryn. "Flags - Other flags". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  20. "Wellington, New Zealand". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  21. "The Lost History of the Flag of Wellington". medium.com. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  22. "Time to revive the flag? No not that one – the Wellington one". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  23. "National Māori flag". Ministry for Culture & Heritage. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  24. New Zealand Naval Flags
  25. "Flag - New Zealand Post Office". Te Awamutu Museum Collection Online. Retrieved 12 July 2023.

Further reading
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